APHIS plays a vital role in ensuring the free flow of agricultural trade by keeping U.S. agricultural industries free from pests and diseases and certifying that the millions of U.S. agricultural and food products shipped to markets abroad meet the importing countries' entry requirements. APHIS makes sure that all imported agricultural products shipped to the United States from abroad meet the Agency's entry requirements to exclude pests and diseases of agriculture.

APHIS also keeps export markets open for American agricultural products by working to eliminate unjustified sanitary or phytosanitary (SPS) barriers - that is, concerns involving plant and animal health - raised by U.S. trading partners. APHIS' team of technical experts, based in the United States and abroad, includes scientists, veterinarians, pathologists, and entomologists that advocate on behalf of U.S. agriculture. They build relationships with their agricultural health and regulatory counterparts in other countries and use scientific principles to make the case for American agricultural exports, explaining to foreign officials why U.S. commodities are safe to import. APHIS played a direct role in opening new markets and retaining and expanding existing market access for U.S. agricultural products worth billions of dollars annually.

Cut Flowers and Greenery Import Manual [open pdf - 967KB] (184 Pages)"The Cut Flowers and Greenery Import Manual provides the background, procedures, and reference tables for regulating the fresh, cut portion of the plant when it is imported for decoration or ornamentation, and for protecting plants that are threatened with extinction due to trade in those plants or their derivatives. The articles from the countries of origin listed in this manual are regulated because just one destructive pest might be enough to start a pest outbreak that can cause millions of dollars of damage to crops, trees, flowers, or lawns. By their destructiveness, pests can increase the price and reduce the quality of food, lower property values, and ruin recreational areas. The extinction of just one plant species does away with the aesthetic, ecological, educational, historical, recreational, commercial, and scientific value of our world."

The Plant Protection Act of 2000 provides the authority to prohibit or restrict imports, exports or interstate movement of plant pests, plants, plant products, noxious weeds, biological control agents and means of conveyance.

Plant Protection and Quarantine (PPQ) officers / Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) ensure that all shipments of imported cut flowers reach local florists free of pests and diseases by enforcing quarantine laws that require cargo to be inspected at the first port of arrival. Any shipment or portion of a shipment may be refused or be required to be treated if PPQ officers find pests of quarantine significance.

CBP Agriculture Specialists are specially trained in how to inspect cut flowers, plants and fresh herbs for signs of insects, pests or diseases. During the inspection, if an infested shipment is found, they will take a sample of the insect, pest or disease, complete an interception form which describes what they have found and identified and send it to a U.S. Department of Agriculture identifier. If the sample is not "actionable", the officer releases the shipment to the importer. If found to be .actionable., that is, not known to exist in the United States, or is an exotic invasive species detrimental to American agriculture, the shipment is ordered for fumigation, destruction or re-exportation under Customs Bond. If the importer chooses fumigation, treatments are performed at the risk and expense to the importer and must be performed under the supervision of an APHIS officer at a USDA approved facility. After fumigation, the officer releases the flowers to the importer and allows them to enter the country. If the entomologist determines the insect or pest is not harmful and poses no economic threat to U.S. agriculture, the officer releases the flowers to the importer. Similarly, if re-exportation under Customs Bond is chosen, this is done at the risk and expense of the importer.

The top three U.S. ports of entry that receive the most imported cut flowers are Miami, Los Angeles and New York. In a single shipment, CBP Agriculture Specialists working at any of these ports inspect samples representing up to 50 different varieties of cut flowers. The top three imported cut flowers are roses, carnations and chrysanthemums.

The purpose of the Release Program is to use pest risk analysis in processing agricultural cargo more effectively and efficiently by expediting the release of high volume, low risk cut flowers. Los Angeles is a Participating Port in this program. The flower and country combinations eligible for release under this program are:

(1) Any bouquet that 75 percent of the stems in the bouquet, excluding greenery, are Rosa spp.The risks associated with the importation of cut flowers are subject to change for a variety of reasons such as:The volume of flowers fluctuates annuallyThe number and species of pests intercepted and population levels in growing areas are subject to change.For these reasons the Release Program will be reviewed annually. The Release Program will also be subject to further evaluation as problems, i.e., significant pest findings or incidents of smuggling, etc.

The Flower of the Day:Any flower, including those qualifying for the National Cut Flower Release program, may be selected as the 'Flower of the Day'. If selected, the entire contents of at least one box of each flower/country combination from each grower must be inspected.The local operations desk will advise the warehouse, airline or importer which low risk flower type (Flower of the Day), if any, will be inspected on that particular day.

Manual for Agricultural Clearance [2012] [open pdf - 7MB] (662 Pages)"The 'Manual for Agricultural Clearance' (MAC) provides Customs and Border Protection (CBP) personnel working at airport, maritime, and land border locations with guidelines, directions, and policy for excluding pests that are a threat to American agriculture. [...] CBP clears carriers and passengers and controls garbage and cargo to minimize the risk of introducing plant pests and/or animal diseases into the United States. This manual provides the information necessary to accomplish those clearance tasks that are performed at airports, maritime ports, and land border points of entry. As a part of excluding pests, CBP will also perform Agriculture Quarantine Inspection Monitoring (AQIM) activities on passengers, vehicles and cargo that enter at ports of entry."

Canadian Border Agricultural Clearance Manual [open pdf - 4MB] (280 Pages)"One purpose of this manual is to enable Federal officers to regulate (determine admissibility of) agricultural articles in the absence of U. S. Customs and Border Protection Agriculture Inspection (CBP AI). Regulate means to: 1. Prohibit entry to those articles that pose a threat to the agriculture of the United States. 2. Release those articles that this manual authorizes you to release. 3. Refer to CBP AS those articles that require extensive inspection, testing, or treatment--or where the cooperator is uncertain as to the likelihood that an article might be carrying pests and/or diseases. A second purpose of this manual is to provide directions for taking limited action in the absence of CBP AI. U. S. Customs and Border Protection along the Canadian border has agreed to: 1. Sample certain agricultural and vegetable seed 2. Board aircraft and ships in specified instances 3. Inspect horsemeat to make sure it is unfit for human consumption."

Miscellaneous and Processed Products: (354 pages)Regulating the Importation of Miscellaneous and Processed Products Regulated by Plant Protection and Quarantine [open pdf - 2MB]"The Miscellaneous and Processed Products Manual provides the background, procedures, and reference tables for regulating imported articles of nonplant origin (i.e., goatskins, brassware, and beeswax) that might serve to introduce exotic pests and parasites. The articles from the countries of origin listed in this manual are regulated because just one destructive pest might be enough to start a pest outbreak that can cause millions of dollars of damage to crops, trees, flowers, or lawns. By their destructiveness, pests can increase the price and reduce the quality of food, lower property values, and ruin recreational areas. The extinction of just one plant species does away with the aesthetic, ecological, educational, historical, recreational, commercial, and scientific value of our world. […] The Miscellaneous and Processed Products Manual covers all nonplant articles that could serve to introduce exotic pests or parasites (e.g., goatskins are entered because they can sustain populations of the khapra beetle; while beeswax is entered because it could introduce exotic bee mites or diseases of bees). Specifically, the manual covers: 1. Products that result from the harvesting and milling of field crops--principally corn, cotton, rice, sugarcane, and wheat 2. Products that result from the harvesting, preserving, and processing of fruits, herbs, nuts and other seeds, and vegetables 3. Nonplant articles that could become contaminated with exotic plant pests, parasites, and/or animal secretions 4. Decorative articles and handicrafts constructed using plants and plant parts 5. Herbarium specimens."

Seeds Not for Planting [open pdf - 2MB] (132 Pages )"The Seed Not for Planting Manual provides the background, procedures and reference tables for regulating whole seeds (grain and nuts) when they are imported for purposes other than planting or growing, and for protecting plants that are threatened with extinction due to trade in those plants or their derivatives. The seeds from the countries of origin listed in this manual are regulated because just one destructive pest might be enough to start a outbreak that can cause millions of dollars of damage to crops, trees, flowers, or lawns. By their destructiveness, pests can increase the price and reduce the quality of food, lower property values, and ruin recreational areas. The extinction of just one plant species does away with the aesthetic, ecological, educational, historical, recreational, commercial, and scientific value of our world."

Fresh Fruits and Vegetables Import Manual [open pdf - 4MB] (624 Pages)"The Fruits and Vegetables Import Manual provides the background, procedures, and reference tables for regulating imported articles of fresh, usable parts of plants such as fruits, stems, leaves, roots, and flowers (herbs and vegetables). These imported articles are not intended for planting or growing, but they might serve to introduce exotic pests. The articles from the countries of origin listed in this manual are regulated because just one destructive pest might be enough to start a pest outbreak that can cause millions of dollars of damage to crops, trees, flowers, or lawns. By their destructiveness, pests can increase the price and reduce the quality of food, lower property values, and ruin recreational areas. The extinction of just one plant species does away with the aesthetic, ecological, educational, historical, recreational, commercial, and scientific value of our world. The Fruits and Vegetables Import Manual covers all fresh fruits and vegetables including fresh herbs and sprouts and immature nuts that have not been separated from their husk, that are imported from any foreign country, Palau, Federated States of Micronesia, or Northern Mariana Islands. These fresh fruits, vegetables, and herbs must be intended for consumption--not planting or growing. Only the approved plant part(s) of the fresh fruits, vegetables, and herbs is allowed entry."

Treatment Manual [open pdf - 8MB] ( 798 Pages)"The procedures and treatment schedules listed in this manual are administratively authorized for use in Plant Protection and Quarantine (PPQ). The treatment of listed commodities prevents the movement of agricultural pests into or within the United States. An officer may determine that other commodities require treatment to prevent similar pest movement. […] This manual covers all treatments for import, export, and those domestic plant pests which are of quarantine significance. This manual is broadly divided into ten sections: 1. Chemical Treatments 2. Nonchemical Treatments 3. Residue Monitoring 4. Treatment Schedules 5. Certifying Facilities 6. Emergency Aid and Safety 7. Equipment 8. Glossary 9. Appendixes 10. Index. Each section is tabbed and contains a Table of Contents, an Overview, and where appropriate, a Methods and Procedures section. The Overview is a broad, general description of what is covered in the section. Methods and Procedures cover the 'how to' of that particular activity as well as procedural and reference material for performing tasks associated with each activity. The Appendixes contain information directly associated with treatment activities, but are placed in the back so they do not interfere with the flow of procedural instructions."(source from)http://www.aphis.usda.gov/wps/portal/aphis/ourfocus/importexporthttps://www.hsdl.org/?search=&page=1&all=Cut+Flowers+and+Greenery+Import+Manual&searchfield=&collection=limited&submitted=Search